System of electric traction



5001253, 5E, SYSTEM of ELECT-Rw Tia/mow APPLICAIOT FILED AUG l0, 1007 WWA/5385s 4 \0.891,619, PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908, s. E.' HooPEs, JE.

ySYSTEM 0F ELECTRITRACTION.

APPLIGATION H LED AUG.10, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wl TNESSES TTOHNEYSl PATENT FFICE.

SAMUEL H. HOOPS, JR., OF WEST CHESTERPENNSYLVANIA.

SYSTEM 0F EL'GTRIC TRACTION Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

.Application filed August 10, 1907. SerialNo. 388,011.

1b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H.' Hoorns, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of `West Chester, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and lm roved System of Electric Traction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates' to improvements in electric traction.

An object ofthe invention is to prdvide a system of electric traction 'for railroads,

. tramways and the like, comprising a series of independent sections constituting an electric circuit, and means for conducting the current from the circuit at the sections, successively to a car, in such a, manner that the-,car is in electrical connection with at least one section all the time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system oi the class described, comprising a' series of sections formin an electric circuit, one line of which is insu ated so that there is no danger ci electric shock due to the coming in contact of a foreign body with the circuit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a systemI of electric traction which comprises a Iseries ofy independent sections constituting subfdivisions of an electric circuit, and contacts arranged to be engaged by a collecting member 'carried by a car to conduct the current from the' insulated line to the car, whence it returns to the uninsulated lineof the circuit, the construction of each of 'the contacts being such that no current. flows therethrough when it is not in engagement with the collecting member.

y The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forthlin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany'- ing drawings forming a part ot this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure l shows in elevationa portion' cfa system of electric traction of my design, having a car arranged to travel upon the trackv rails; Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing a portion of the track and the car upon the track; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a detail which comprises a resilient support for the collecting member; Fig. 4 is-a partially longitudinal section of one of the'contacts; Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section showing the contact in detail and with a part broken away; Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6h@` of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line, of Fig. Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention it should be understood that the saine is applicable-to vari'- ous systems of electric traction in which electric current is conductedby means of a ,other current re uiring devices of the cars or trains of cars. em oy a series yof sections, each of which is a su -division of an electric circuit drawing current from a suitable source of sup 1y. The circuit comprises-an insulated, and) an uninsulated or return line, the latter preferably' being a track rail or independent thirdl rail. The insulated line may consist of a conductor of preferred or .tiona manner. As one ofthe lines of each 'circuit is insulated it is impossible' accidenelectrical communication between the lines, `for instance by the contact of a foreign body with both lines of the circuit. tion obviates the danger of accidental electric shocks to travelers or others who might acthe traction system. To permit, however, the iiow of the current from the insulated line to the collecting member of the car, I provide a plurality of contacts each owhich. 'is so constructed that when it is engaged by thecollecting member a movable part is ac.-

tween the insulated 'line and the contact, 'the current flowing from the latter collecting memberto the oarand retur tact slice to the uninsulat'edline formed by the track rail or the third rail. l further provide means for operating a signal system such as a block-light system, by means ofthe contacts. When the latter are actuated by the collecting'member, conductors leading to the signal system are connected electrically with the insulated line, and the current thus iiows from .the insulated line to the signal system and thence .to the uninsulated' line of the circuit, when the car is drawing current from a section which is part of the signal common type arranged in a suitable'conduit o'rsulppiorted onI insulators in any conven-H cidentally come in Contact with the rails of;

tuated to effect electric communication ,be-A

moving collecting member to the motors and :tally to short-circuit this system by effecting through the y from the latter through the wheels. or a conlos ' contact with the next adjacent contact of the succeeding section. It will be understood that the distance between any two contacts is less than the length of the collecting mem,-

ber. The circuit is divided into sections by the contacts, each section comprising the portion of the circuit between two adjacent contacts. The sub-division of the line into blocks for signal purposes and the like can be ell'eeted by means of the contacts,

though in practical use eaehblock would probably comprise a number ot' sections, for

each section is shorter in length than the 'l length of an ordinary car.

teler-ring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a rail ol a track such as is commonly employed in electric and other traction systems. The rails of the system are supported upon ties 2 or are carried in any other suitab e manner upon the roadbed. The cars 3 maybe ol' any suitable or rel'erred form and are mounted upon the usual wheeled trucks 4 which travel upon the track rails. .Needless to say, all the cars used in the system are not necessarily motor cars or otherwise adapted for use as such in connection with my system. As is customary, certain of the `cars may be motor cars, while others may be trailers, which are propelled by the motor cars. Each ol the trucks 4 of the motor cars has ]')rojcctions 5 which carry a rod 6. A bracket 7 is mounted by means ollaterally disposed wings 8, upon the rod G, and is slidably supported by the latter. A spring 9 is arranged upon each ol'A the rods (i between one of the projections 5 and a wing 8, this resiliently holding the bracket 7 in position upon the rod. Near the lower extremities, the brackets have arms l() disposed inwardly toward the car wheels, and carrying an elongated collecting member 11 having pointed end 12. The collecting member 11 can be fashioned from any suitable conducting material such as copper, and is insulated l'rom the brackets 7 by means ol plates 18 ot' di-eleetrie,materiah The curren t which l lows l'roni the'fvcollecting member 11 passes tothe earirom Athe latter along a conductorlflfse'cured to the collecting member near the center thereof and iassinvv through a coiled spring l5 which is secured respectively to the car and the collecting member by means ol` brackets 1G and 17. The spring 5 is of su'llicient stillness to support the collecting member near the center tor a purpose wh. will appear' hereinafter.

rlhe electric circuit comprises a conductor 18 arranged in an insulating conduit 19, and an uninsulated line lformed byl a track or other rail. The insulated and uninsulated lines are of course in electric communication and draw current from a suitable source of supply. The-circuit is provided with contacts 2O adapted to be engaged by the collecting member 11 which draws current from the contacts as the cars` travel along the sections.

The contact 20 comprises a support or standard 21 having laterally disposed feet 22 by means of' which it can be rigidly mounted adjacent to the track. The standard is hollow and can be formed vfrom any material suitable'for the purpose, such as cast-iron,.

porcelain and the like. l refer to provide the standard with a lateral y extending arm having flanges 23 which can be bolted to the adjacent track rail and insulated therefrom by means of plates of di-electric material held in osition by the holding` bolts 24. A boltrod) 25 of' conducting material such as copper, is arranged within the standard, longitudinally thereof, and has the shank mounted in an insulating sleeve 26 carried by the standard. The bolt rod 25 has a laterally elongated head 27 which is of considerably greater length than width. By means of nuts 28 arranged upon a suitable threaded portion of the bolt rod 25, a conductor 29 which is electrically connected with the conductor 1S is secured to the bolt rod and permits the flow of current from the conductor 18 to the latter, Ahoed 30 is mounted upon the stand ard 21 and may be formed from any suitable material. The hood is hollow and has an insulating. lining 3l of any material suitable for the purpose. The lining 31 has a recess S2 `having inwardly disposed l'langes 33 at opposite sides. The construction' is such that in one position the head 27 passes freely into the recess and when the head is turned the llanges 33 engage at the iinder side of the' head. to hold the hood firmly Ain position upon the standard. As the latter, as well as the hood, is preferably of substantially vcircular transverse section, the hood can be easily rotated upon the standard to be locked in position by this movement of rotation through the co-acting of the head ofthe bolt rod with the llanged recess of the lining.

A peripherally grooved wheel'34 of conducting material such as co per is loosely mounted by means ofjournz s 35 in lateral recesses 36 of the insulating lininfr 31. The recesses 36 have the ends upwardly dis osed and have the lower edges curved as is s iown most clearly in Fig. 6. The form of the recesses is such that in the normal position the journals 35, owing to the gravitational action of the wheels, rest against the lower edges of the recesses and out of engagement with a block 37 of conducting material embedded. in the insulating lining and projectinsulated line of the circuit.

acacia ing into one of the-recesses 36 at the upwardly disposed extremities thereof.

lt will be understood that it' the Wheel 34 is swung in one direction'or the other to bring the journal at one side into position Within either of the upwardly disposed eX- tremities of the recesses 36 at the corresponding side, the journal will come into Contact with the conducting block 37 As the latter is electrically connected by means of a conducting rod 38with the head of the bolt rod 25, when the hood is locked in position upon the standard, current will flow through the bolt rod 25, the conducting rod 38, and the conducting block 37, to the wheel 34. Helical springs 39 seating in suitable recesses of the hood and engaging the insulating lining 3 l, hold 'the latter resilientlyA in position within the hood. he latter has a rounded open- Q' therethrough communicating with a slot The rounded opening 41 is adapted to receive the collecting member 11, the arms l passing freely through the slot 41, as

the collecting member passes through the Contact. The arrangement of the parts of the Ycontact is such that when the collecting member l1 passes into the opening of the contact the pointed end l2 of the collecting member slides smoothly under the grooved wheel Se and lifts the latter into engagement with. one or the other of the upwardly disposed extremities of. the recesses 3b, depend! mg upon the direction of movement of the car. As the wheel is raised, one of the journais comes intocontact with the conducting block 37 and electrical communication is thereby established between the conductor i8 inthe conduit. 19, and the collecting member l1, the current rlowing from the latter to the car and returning from the car to the un The spring 14 which supports the collecting member 11 near the middle, is ci sufficient stiffness to hold the latter against the imposed Weight of the wheel 3.4 as the collecting member passesr through the contact. At the same time, the

spring is resilient and allows themember to move within certain limits thereby obviating the dai yr of iracturing or injuring the contacts or collectingmem r when e train is traveling at nigh speed. The extremities oi signal circuit conductors l2 proiect into the extremities of the recesses 36,-,so that when the wheel is raised the current lows from the journal through the conductors 42 and. thereby operates the signal system, which may be ol' any prei or common type.

s described my invention, I -id desire to secure by Letters lnimprovements in electric traction, a syste@ of sections comprising an electric circuit, a current collecting member resiliently secured upon a car and resiliently held against movement longitudinally of vthe car, and means adapted to be engaged b and controllable by said member for coni ucting current from one of said sections to the car, said means being inoperative when not engaged by said member.

2. In improvements in electric traction, a system ci sections comprising an electric circuit'having an insulated and an uninsulated line, an elongated current collecting member mounted upon a car and held at the ends resiliently against movement longitudinally of the car, said member being further resiliently connected' with the car intermediate of the ends of said member, and a contact for each section, said contact being adapted to be engaged by said member and to be' operated by the same to establish an electrical connection between said contact and said insulated line, whereby the current is led lfrom said insulated line through said contact and said member to 'the car. y

3. In improvements in electric traction, a system of sections comprising an electric circuit, one line of which is insulated, an elongated current collecting member adapted to be carried by a car and greater in length than any one of said sections, whereby said member is always in contact with one or more of said sections, said member having brackets near the ends adapted to be mounted upon the car and holding said member resiliently against movement longitudinally of the car, said member being further resiliently connected with the car at a point intermediate of the ends of said member, and a contact for each of said sections, said contactsA being adapted to be engaged by 'said member and to be operated thereby to establisli electrical connection between said contacts and said insulated'line.

4. In improvements in electric traction, an electric circuit having a plurality of contacts dividing said circuit into sections, said circuit comprising an insulated and an uninsulated line, a current collecting member adapted to be carried by a car and greater in length than the distance between any two ad'acent contacts, said 'member having ta ere extremities and being resiliently he d u on s'aid car against movement longitudine ly of said car, said member having a further resilient connection with said car, said contacts being normally electrically inde endent of said circuit and havin means for .orming an clectric'connection with said circuit when engaged by said collecting member.

5.v In improvements in electric traction,'in combination with a car and electric contacts, a collecting member adapted to engage said car said member` being resiliently hel against' movement longitudinally of said car.

6. In improvements 1n electric traction, 1n

- contacts and resiliently supported u on said sentin ta ered ends said member having g i s brackets near the ends adapted to be mounted u on the car and resiliently holding said mem er against movement longitudinally `of said car, said member being further resiliently supported at a point -intermediate of the ends.

8. In improvements in electric traction, in combination with an electric circuit and a collecting member, a contact having a stand ard, a hood removably carried by saidstandard, and a movable member Within said` hood and adapted to be actuated by said collecting member, said movable member com- ,municating electrically with said circuit in one osition, said hood having means operable y a movement of said hood for locking the same in position upon said standard.

9. In improvements m electric tractiom in combination with an electric circuit 'andl a collecting member, a contact having a standard, a hoodrfremovably mounted upon said standard and having means for locking it in position thereupon by a movement with respect to said standard, and a movable member Within said hood and adapted to be engaged by said collecting member, said contact havingl conducting means` connected with said circuit and adapted to bc engaged. by said movable member when the same is displaced by engagement with the collecting member.

10. In improvements in electric traction, in combination .with an electric circuit and a collecting member, a contact having a. stand-- ard, a hood'removably mounted upon said standard and having means for locking it in position thereupon by a movement of said ood with respect to said standard, a revolu- ,i

ble member movably arranged within said hood and adapted to be engaged bysaid collecting member, said hood presen ting an opening for the passage of the collecting member, and means for electrically connecting said circuit and said movable member when the latter is displaced by engagement .fith the collecting member.

Il. In improvements in electric traction in'combination with an electric circuit ard a collecting member, a contact having` a holloW standard, a conductor Within said standard having ahead and electrically' connected With said circuit, a hood removably carried by said standard and having a flange adapted to engage said head to hold said hood in positien when the latter is moved with res ect to said standard, and a revoluble mem er re movably arranged Within said h ood and adapted to be engaged by said collecting member, said hood presenting an opening for the passage ofthe collecting member said hoed having a conductor in contact with said first conductor when said hood is locked in position upon said standard, said revoluble member engag ing said second conductor when said revoluble member is displaced by the collecting member.

12. In improvements in electric traction, in combination with an electric circuit and a collecting member, a contact having a hol low standard, a conductor Within said standard and insulated therefrom, said conductor having a. laterally extended head and eemmunicating electrically with said circuit, a hood having an insulated lining presenting langes, said-hood being adapted to be removably mounted u )on saidA standard, said iianges engaging head to lock said hood in'position when. the latter is rotated -with respect to said standard, a conductor Within said lining and engaging said Alirst conductor when said hood is locked in position, said lining having recesses presenting upwardly disposed extremities, a revoluble member having journals arranged in said recesses and adapted to be engaged by said collecting member, said revoluble member being operable by said collecting member, said second conductor having a conducting block pro jecting into one of said recesses whereby the same is engaged by one of said journals when said revoluble member is displaced, said hood presenting an opening for thepassage ol the collecting member and having resilient means for holding said lining in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL II. IIOOPES, Jn.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD (lnosson, Il. J. STILL. 

